Into the Shadows
by Misao the Great
Summary: Kagome's heart beats strongly for Inuyasha. Will it be enough to keep her alive?
1. Chapter 1

Into the Shadows

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part 1

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It was late in the evening when Kagome and Inuyasha arrived in Kaede's village

It was late in the evening when Kagome and Inuyasha arrived in Kaede's village. The moon was full above, clearly lighting the path for them. Kagome gently stroked the sleeping kitsune in her arms who had passed out several hours before. She wasn't sure how to fix their friendship, and the hanyou hadn't spoken since before Shippo fell asleep, since their fight. The village was silent and dark except for the cold light from the moon, and the two travelers made their way to Kaede's home.

_I'll talk to him in the morning, _Kagome thought, _he doesn't seem to want to talk now…_

Kagome quietly unrolled her sleeping bag next to the small fire, across from the old priestess. Inuyasha settled into the corner without speaking or even looking at her. Ignoring her heartache, Kagome turned away from him to face the fire, pulling Shippo close to her body.

--

"Maybe I wouldn't be so nice to Kouga if you were nicer to me!" Kagome stomped away from the hanyou before her anger could rise above the boiling point.

Inuyasha didn't seem to get the hint and stormed after her. He was fed up with that wimpy wolf fawning all over Kagome and insulting him, and Kouga had graced them with an appearance earlier to 'check' on how well Inuyasha was taking care of Kagome. It pissed him off to no end, though he wasn't sure of the exact reason why. Kagome had stopped just ahead in the path and turned, glaring at him. Shippou hid from sight, terrified of getting caught in the cross-fire.

"Why are you following me?" she asked, hissing slightly. "Shouldn't you be off chasing after Kikyou again?"

Inuyasha's golden eyes narrowed; this was starting to get personal.

"Bitch, leave her out of this!" he growled.

A dark red began to creep into Kagome's face, staining her cheeks with fury. "I'll stop talking to Kouga when you stop following Kikyou around like a lost dog!"

Kagome realized instantly that she might have crossed a line in comparing to Inuyasha an animal. The deep hurt that flashed in his eyes worked like a bucket of water on the fires of her temper. Inuyasha spat, the wounded look quickly replaced by a pissed expression.

"We're going back to Kaede's village."

The young woman watched Inuyasha turned and start marching in the opposite direction before she sighed and follow him, wondering how they were going to get over this repeating argument.

--

Kagome woke up with a start. The chill in the air was seeping into her skin, letting her know it was in the early hours of the morning still. A shadow moved past her and headed for the door, and she watched as Inuyasha left the hut without a glance at her prone body. Kagome felt guilty for the pissing contest they had gotten into earlier and felt a need to apologize and set things right. In all their fights she couldn't remember Inuyasha holding a grudge quite like the one he held that day. Shippou hiccupped in his sleep and rolled over as Kagome carefully slid out of her bedding and quietly followed the hanyou out into the night.

The moon had set, and the darkness was almost overwhelming for Kagome. She immediately saw what had brought Inuyasha outside. Overhead a shinidamachu soared past, clutching a glowing soul. Kagome wavered for a moment, unsure whether she should follow it or leave the whole situation alone. Flashbacks from previous incidences popped up in her head, motivating her to following the wispy snake to find its owner. If Kikyou was going to try to kill Inuyasha again, that stupid hanyou was almost entirely likely to fall into one of her traps.

Navigating through the woods with no light was extremely difficult for Kagome, and she almost lost sight of the soul collector several times. Due to the black night she was disoriented and surprised she reached a cleared that she recognized. There were a dozen shinidamachu surrounding a figure that she recognized only too well. They gave off a hazy light, allowing her to see Kikyou staring down at the bone eater's well with dull curiosity. The leaves were rustling from the wind blowing at her, saving Kagome from detection either from sound or smell by Inuyasha, who stood a few paces behind the dead priestess. She knew Kikyou would feel her presence, but at least she was hidden from the dog demon.

"Inuyasha," the cold voice called out, "why are you here?"

The hanyou took a step forward, raising his clawed hands up to touch the dead woman; but his hands fell back to his sides, clenched.

"You should know why, Kikyou," he whispered hoarsely, barely loud enough for Kagome to pick up.

Kikyou turned slowly to face him, glancing briefly at Kagome's hiding spot. "Do you long for me? Do you miss my touch and my love?" she asked airily, a bitter smile turning the corner of her mouth.

Kagome could feel her stomach rolling. She debated leaving the scene, but the place she wanted to go was currently blocked by the two lovers.

"I don't know what to do," Inuyasha growled. He clasped and loosened his fists, his whole body tight with energy.

"Do you love my reincarnation?" Kikyou took a step toward him, but her eyes were aimed at Kagome's soul.

Inuyasha's body unconsciously leaned toward the dead woman, but he did not answer. He was fixated on her image, not even bothering to blink.

Kikyou moved closer, raising her arms to brush against Inuyasha's chest then shoulders before she drew him into a tight embrace.

Kagome closed her eyes, turning her head from the sickening sight. The ache in her heart was so strong that it was choking her. She gasped for air, but she was unable to draw a breath. A spiritual energy surrounded her, and Kagome opened her eyes, only to see one of Kikyou's soul collectors wrapped around her neck.

_I am tired of your interference,_ a voice echoed in her head. _You are a pitiful copy even of this dead body._

Tears streamed down the young woman's face as she felt herself growing weaker without air. She grabbed at the spirit choking her, though her fingers only passed through the ethereal being. Her spirit wasn't strong enough to defend her when she wasn't sure how much she wanted to live.

Kikyou stepped away from Inuyasha as the sounds of movement in the woods were heard on the opposite side of the clearing from Kagome's location. She cast one last evil glance at her captive and called her shinidamachu to her, rising into the sky. Inuyasha turned to see Kirara enter the clearing followed by Miroku and Sango. They had not seen Kikyou before she left, and the couple came to greet Inuyasha in good spirits after their day of spending time alone.

Only a few paces away, Kagome struggled to stay conscious, though black spots covered her vision. The spirit wrapped around her neck slowly loosened and slid away to follow its mistress, and Kikyou's laugh echoed in her head. Weak and aching, Kagome braced herself on the ground trying to get air back into her body. The breeze masked the sound of her panting. She looked up and over the bushes protecting her from sight and saw her friends walking past, heading back toward the village. The tears were still wet on her cheeks, though the new ones were not from her experience of dying. As soon as she was alone in the clearing Kagome left the safety of the woods and ran toward the well, not even pausing before she jumped.

--

Inuyasha was putting the encounter with Kikyou out of his mind as he followed Miroku back to the village where he believed Kagome was still sleeping. A small voice nagged in the back of his head, telling him that it felt a little guilty for engaging the exact behavior that he had yelled at Kagome for earlier in the day. They slowly walked down the hill away from the forest when a familiar scent caught his nose, so similar to Kikyou's smell that permeated the area, but sweeter. Kagome was in the woods. He turned without explanation and wandered to the source of the scent that was being brought to him on the wind, arriving at a spot behind several bushes where the ground was trampled and the smell of Kagome was everywhere. He could sniff out fear, anger, and tears; and he knew that she had seen everything once again.

-tbc


	2. Chapter 2

Into the Shadows

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part 2

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Kagome rested on the ground at the bottom of the well, not quite ready to climb out and possibly face her family. The salty tracks on her cheeks had dried, but her face was still red and puffy from crying. Her throat was likely bruised from the choking, and it was already sore to touch. She climbed the rope ladder to the top of the well but went no further, simply sitting on the wooden edge and staring back down into the darkness for several minutes. As much as she wanted a warm bath and a good sleep in her own bed, she also wanted to be alone at the moment.

For some reason she felt like it would be a mistake to leave the edge of the well and go to her home; her heart was telling her to go back to Inuyasha. Kagome shook her head, ridding herself of the strange feeling and left the wooden shed.

--

The shower helped her feel marginally better, and luckily no one in her house had been awake so early in the morning. Kagome returned to her room, towel drying her hair, and flipped on her stereo. She shuffled through her discs, seeking something upbeat and fast. The sun was starting to rise, turning the sky into a rich blue-tinted gray. Being separated from the feudal era helped her step back and regroup her emotions, sorting them into the appropriate places again. Kagome was much calmer and successfully blocking out her memories of the night; she even swayed to the quick tempo of her music while brushing her hair. The bruises around her neck were stark against the pale skin of her reflection in the mirror, and she mentally came up with a story that would satisfy her mother when she asked about them.

Kagome knew that eventually she would have to consider the events with Kikyou and Inuyasha, but there was no reason to rush. She had no intention of returning to the well for at least a few days, hopefully through the passage of time dulling the pain in her heart in regards to what she had witnessed. The sun was starting to cast golden rays on the landscape, and the young woman braced her hip on the windowsill, just taking in the beautiful view. A small part of her mind insisted she was only feeling this well at the moment because she was in some sort of emotional shock. The songs rotated on the speakers, pulling up a sharp beat and clapping sound. She felt her heart speed up to match the music.

_Open your eyes,_

_See all the love in me;_

_I've got enough for ever._

_Don't be afraid;_

_Take all you need from me,_

_And we'll be good together…_

The hairbrush clattered noisily to the floor, and Kagome dropped to her knees, tears pouring down her cheeks once more. It was all just too much for her, the love she had for Inuyasha felt like it was crushing her with its weight since she was bearing it alone. There was no room in his life for her love; he had plenty of emotional trouble with Kikyou. No matter how much it hurt and no matter how many times he returned to Kikyou to try to get what he needed, Kagome couldn't help but love him anyways. She had fled his era that night because while she was trapped hiding, watching Kikyou hug him, she believed that she had briefly hated the hanyou. Running was the only way she knew how to deal with that contradiction. In the cool light of the early morning though, Kagome knew exactly what it was that she hated, not Inuyasha, but she hated her own love for him. It wasn't his fault that she had fallen in love with her comrade, making everything more complicated for both of them.

It was all her fault, and yet she was taking it out on him. Her jealousy had no place, and she owed him so many apologies for it. Kagome could only imagine what Inuyasha must really be suffering, separated by death from the woman he really loved, followed around by a stupid girl who got mad at him just for having human emotions for his dead lover.

Suddenly Kagome couldn't wait any longer. She packed a bag and left the house long before anyone could know she had even been there, and she returned to the well. The song still beat inside her heart, driving her onward; she needed to apologize to Inuyasha immediately. She had all the love in the world to offer him, but it was his choice to take it or not. It was not her right to get angry at his decision. Her bruised heart felt strong enough again to beat for Inuyasha, even without the echo of his own heart for her. There were bigger things to worry about like pounding Naraku and keeping her friends safe; she felt she had wasted more than enough time feeling sorry for herself.

Kagome stared into the darkness of the well for a moment before jumping, letting her faint smile be engulfed by the shadows.

-tbc


	3. Chapter 3

Inuyasha sat near the door to Kaede's hut, apparently lost in thought. The old woman carefully tended the fire quietly to avoid waking the worn-out Sango and Miroku. After feeling her knowing gaze on him once too often Inuyasha rose and left the dwelling without a word.

A strange breeze swirled around him, and Inuyasha tried to smell for demonic activity. There was something unusual carried on the wind, though it didn't smell like a demon. It was sweet, and for some reason he wished to find the source of the scent. He leapt through the trees, following the trail past the well and into deep forest. The wind guided him to a stone path that led up to a humble shrine, and the odor dissipated in the small clearing. The hanyou turned to leave since he had lost the trail, but he couldn't sniff any traces of the sweet scent that should have still lingered. Inuyasha then noticed a statue of a praying monk crouched near the exit from the clearing. The stone man was bent in supplication, no taller than the stump next to him.

Inuyasha approached the statue slowly and sat down on the stump. He eyed the praying man and crossed his arms, unsure of why he felt a little less lonely sitting with a stone person.

"I envy you," he muttered. "Life was a lot easier when I was a statue like you."

Golden eyes narrowed and discreetly peered at the silent monk. There was silence for only a moment.

"You're lucky you don't have to worry about some bastard trying to kill your friends."

The silence of the statue was almost accusing.

"Yea… and women troubles… be grateful those aren't something you have to deal with." Inuyasha snorted.

His memory flickered back to the previous day, and Inuyasha felt guilty for overreacting at Kagome. He knew she hadn't really meant to hurt him, and he'd done his own fair share of hurting her. The breeze picked up again, and his furry ears flicked around vigilantly. There was a rustling on the other side of the path, and the hanyou peered into the shadows of the woods. The whole area seemed misty, and out of the corner of his eye Inuyasha was sure he saw the statue move. Surprisingly he wasn't alarmed by the circumstances, rather he relaxed and moved to squat down against the tree stump, crossing his arms and settling in to rest. A small voice spoke up, warning him that he was in danger, but Inuyasha was far too tired to care.

---

It could have been several hours or several days later, but Inuyasha woke at the sound of footsteps approaching him. He was momentarily disoriented before he remembered falling asleep in a shrine yard. A small figure came trotting through the light mist, and Inuyasha rose to a crouch when he saw an old monk headed up the path. The man said nothing to him but paused next to the hanyou and smiled before continuing on to the shrine. Inuyasha followed him out of curiosity.

He was dressed as a wandering priest with his straw hat and plain clothes, but the staff he walked with had a strangely ornate serpent head gilded to the top. The old man came to the landing of the shrine and carefully sat down on the last steps, laying out his personal items next to him carefully, then simply stared at Inuyasha.

"Oi," Inuyasha growled, "who are you? What is this place?"

The monk just shook his head and smiled, far too happy at not answering, in Inuyasha's opinion.

"Keh, whatever." Inuyasha turned and walked back down the path away from the shrine, back toward the village. If he hurried he might get to meet Kikyou as she finished her temple duties for the day.

---

Kagome dropped her backpack inside Kaede's hut and greeted her friends. She glanced around, briefly sad to not see Inuyasha lurking in the shadows.

"Where is Inuyasha?" she asked.

Sango and Miroku both looked puzzled, and Kaede mumbled cryptically, "He went out early and will not be back for a while I think. He has much on his mind."

The young girl felt a pang of guilt that she was probably responsible for his unsettled thoughts, and she excused herself to go look for him.

"Should we go with her? The night is dangerous." Sango rose to her feet and strapped her gear on.

"You are right, of course," Miroku answered and followed after her out the door. Shippou slept peacefully next to the fire, and neither of them felt the need to wake him.

Kagome had a head start, but the white of her school blouse was visible just over the forest line. They hurried to catch up to their friend.

---

The night was surprisingly still and quiet, very unusual for this era of rampant demon and spirit activity. Kagome was trying to use her senses, but without any clear idea of what she was looking for it was futile. She stumbled past the well and saw a woman standing next to a tree. Kagome knew that some sort of plot must be in action when she saw Kikyou waiting for her.

"There is no further use for you." The cold voice did nothing to warm the night's chill. "You returned my soul to this era. Your body has no more purpose here. I give you the chance to leave now or I will kill you."

Kagome was frozen to her spot in astonishment. "Why are you saying this? I've only ever tried to help you."

The dead woman turned and stared at an unknown spot behind her. "He cares for me not you. You are just a distraction. I would have taken him to hell by now if not for you."

It was then that Kagome sensed it, a bizarre spiritual energy coming from a place deep into the woods behind Kikyou. The girl had no idea what it was, but she was certain that it had something to do with Inuyasha.

"How can you want to hurt someone that loves you so much? Hasn't he suffered enough for you? I thought you'd given up the whole revenge thing in favor of killing Naraku!" Kagome ignored the tears that streamed down her cheeks. They were shockingly warm versus the unseasonably cold night.

Kikyou glared at her and spoke louder, "This is not your concern. It does not involve you. I do not need you to destroy Naraku now, therefore you have no purpose here."

Kagome gritted her teeth. _I should have let her die._

Kikyou began walking toward her slowly, right hand outstretched in a guiding manner. "If you come I will show you."


End file.
